Spoke-machine



UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEicE.

WM. VAN ANDEN, OF POUGHKEEPSIE, NEW1 YORK.

SPOKE-MACHINE.

Speceation of Letters Patent No. 13,408, dated August 7, 1855.

To all 'whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM VAN ANDEN, of Poughkeepsie, Dutchess county, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machinery for Cutting or Dressing Spokes for arriages and other Purposes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full description of the same.

The nature of my invention substantially consists first, in the combination and use of two adjusting horizontal revolving axles, (arranged transversely of a suitable rame,) on which are arranged four laterally adjustable cutter holders, in the faces of which are secured several stationary and self adjusting cutters, so that as the cutter holders rotate, the stationary and self adjusting cutters dress and shape all sides of the spoke simultaneously, as it is carried between them by the forward motion of the spoke rest carriage; second, in the combination and use of the means for adjusting the laterally adjusting cutter holders on their axis, by means of guide ways on the spoke rest carriage frame, and guide pin supports and yoke in connection therewith for moving laterally the cutter holders to gage the width of the spoke as it is carried through the machine, by the forward motion of the spoke rest carriage, by means of worms on the axis of the cutter holders, working into `a pinion wheel at right angles thereto, and

having on its end also a worm, which works into a rack on the side of an adjusting bar, on the side of the spoke rest carriage frame; third, in the combination and use of the means for adjusting the distance vertically, between the upper and lower cutter holder axis, by means of double actin levers arranged between the lournals ot the cutter holder axis, and si e pawls acting upon cams, (on the ends of a shaft arranged transversely of the machine, and on the un derside of its table,) and having their peripheries shaped so as to shape the upper and lower sides of the spoke, as the cams are rotated by means of a detent pinion wheel on their axis, operated by a rack on the under side of the spoke rest carriage, so that when the spoke rest carriage moves forward, the detent causes the cams to rotatefat the same time; but when drawn back the detent is inoperative, and allows the cams to remain stationary and holding the cutters spread apart to their widest extent, for the purpose of allowing the linished spoke to be removed, and an uncut spoke to be adjusted. But to describe my invention more particularly I will refer to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this speciication, the same letters of reference wherever they occur referring to the like parts.

Figure 1, is a plan view of the machine. Fig. 2, is a left hand side elevation of the same. Fig. 3, is a back end elevation of the machine. Fig. 4, is a vertical cut section of the cutter holders and. their axis, and adjusting apparatus for cutter holders, and spoke rest carriage bed. Fig. 5 is a detached side view of the cutter holders, and their axis, and double acting levers with pawl attached thereto, and cam an d detent wheels.

Letter A, is the frame of the machine which is made of wood or metal as may be deemed best. Transversely of the frame between posts elevated from the side rails of the frame, are secured two axles B1, B2, in adjustable journals or boxes C and C. On the outer ends of these axles are secured driving pulleys D, D, &c., so that by means of belts E, E, drawing against them, (as seen in Fig. 2,) and over driving pulleys,

vthe axles of the cutter holders are rotated always in the same direction.

Letters F1 and F2, are the cutter holders, which are arranged on the axles B1, and B2, in pairs, so as to cut, by means of the statitionary and adjustable cutters G, and H, the four sides of the spoke simultaneously, and longitudinally as the spoke is carried through the space between their curved cutting edges. These cutter holders are secured on their axles by pins f and f, which on their inner ends enter slots or grooves g and g, cut lengthwise of the cutter axles. The object of this is to allow of a lateral adjusting motion to the cutter holders, at the same time that they are rotating, so as to vary or shape the sides of the spoke, to the required form or pattern.

The cutters G, are stationary, or fixed in the face of the cutter holders and are ar-` ranged in pairs in each cutter holder, and bent or curved so as to present a cutting made adjustable by a screw.

edge at right angles to the axis of the spoke, l and by their Vcurved shape, and position in the faces of the cutter holders, cuts or dresses down the round of the upper and lower sides of the spo-ke, as it passes between them, while the adjustable cutters H, in each of the upper pair of cutter holders, having hook points, (for the purpose of cutting themselves clear of wood more readily, than if made with a straight edge) cuts or dresses down the sides of the spoke. rlhese cutters are arranged to have an adjustable motion in the cutter holders. The object of this is that when the spoke is nearly nished the side edges of it are squared, and as the lateral motion of the cutter holders, is uniform in its action upon all the cutters, it therefore becomes necessary to give the side cutters a self adjusting and independent motion to that of the cutter holders, consequently as the cutter holders are separated it causes the shank of the cutters H, to come in contact with fixed collars I, on the cutter holder axles, which forces the cutters out beyond the faces of the cutter holders, and thereby flattens or squares the sides of the end of the spoke to the required form.

Letters J and J, are yokes, or cut-ter holders adjusters, to the middle of which is se cured an adjuster arm K,.in the slide of which, is secured adjusting or guide pins L, L, which straddle guides M and M, at` tached to the bed N, of the spoke rest carriage. These guides are made or shaped so as to govern the width of the spokes, as well as the shape of it, as they move forward, by the forward motion of the spoke rest carriage.

Letters O, O, are two worms secured on the cutter holder axles Bl and B2, which gear into a toothed wheel P, arranged on an axis P2, between them, and on the end of` which is also a worm Q, which gears into a rack R, attached to the spoke rest carriage N. This rack is made adjustable, by means of cams S, operated by a crank lever T, arranged on the underside of the spoke rest carriage, The object of this adjusting ar-, rangement is to throw the carriage in and. out of gear, that is, in gear when carrying the spoke through the machine, by the forward motion of the carriage, and out of gear, when drawing it back to take out the finished spoke, wit-hout the necessity of throwing the revolving cutters out of gear, or stopping` the entire machine.

Letters U, are the spoke rests, U2, being These spoke rests ,are attached to the carriage bed N, which work in guide ways, in the bed or table board A2, of the machine frame, which being made solid and firm holds the carriage steady in position underthe action of the cutters.

Lett-ers V, and V, are two sets of double acting levers, arranged between theV cutter holder axle boxes C, and C. To the center of the middle one of each of these sets of double acting levers, issecured thevends of pawls WV, the tail ends of which rest upon cams X and X, secured on a shaft Y, arranged under the table board of the carriage frame and transversely of it. The peripheries of these cams are shaped so as to govern the shape of t-he spoke Vto be cut, by means of the tails of the pawls, following their irregularities, and consequently acting through the double acting levers attached to their ends, and between the boxes holding the cutter holder axles, increases or decreases the distance between the upper and lower sets of cutters in accordance with the irregularities of the cams and thereby gives the required shape to the spoke.

Letter Z, is a detent cog wheel on the axis y, which gears into a rack Z2, on the under side of the spoke rest carriage N, for the purpose of communicating to the cam shaft or axis a simultaneous, and uniform motion, with that of the feed motion of the spoke through the machine.

Letter z3, is the detent or spring for holding the cog wheel Z, and causing 1t to rotate as the carriage moves forward, but is released when the carriage is drawn back. The object of this is to allow the cams to remain at rest when the carriage is drawn back to remove t-he finished spoke, and keep the upper and lower sets of cutters distended apart to their greatest capacity, to prevent giving second cuts to the spokes as it is being drawn back, and also to allow of more space between them, for the adjustment of the uncut spoke, after which, thev cams are then. adjusted by turning them till the detent spring falls into its appropriate notch in a collar z2, on the axis of the cams, and the machine is then ready to be thrown into gear to begin dressing down the'spoke.

Having now described my invention and its construction and operation I will proceed to state what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States:

1. I claim the use of the upper and lower adjustable cut-ter holders, made adjustable laterally on their axis, substantially as described, in combination with the curved stationary cutters G, and adjustable cutters H, and collars for adjust-ing the same, or their equivalents, for the purposes,` substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

2. I also claim the use of the adjusting yoke, and attachments thereto for adjusting cutter holders, or their equivalents, in combination with the cutter holders and guide ways on the spoke rest carriage, or their Y equivalent,

substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

the purposes substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

WILLIAM VAN ANDEN.

Witnesses:

JN0. C. HITCHCOCK, SILAs E. HAIGHT. 

